Luke Shaw is back in full training alongside his Manchester United teammates, with the left-back handing Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim a huge injury boost at a vital stage of the campaign.
The England international has only made three appearances for Man United during the 2024-25 campaign, having missed the start of the season with a calf issue before suffering a hamstring injury in early December.
There remain concerns when it comes to the 29-year-old's ongoing muscular problems, but Amorim insisted last month that the defender is a key part of his plans moving forward.
"What I said to him, as a coach is, that since I am here, I saw him in the medical department," Amorim told Amazon Prime Video. "I saw him in the gym. I saw him losing weight. I saw him training. So he did everything right. Sometimes, when you have one or two injuries, it's really hard to recover.
"If he continues with this behaviour, doing everything he can, I will be here. All the staff will be here, as long as it takes. We believe a lot in him, he's so important for our team. For the future, I see in this team, Luke is a very important player for us."
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Shaw returns to Man United training after latest muscular issue
Shaw is training with Man United on Wednesday, with the squad currently preparing for their final match in the league phase of the Europa League, which comes against FCSB on Thursday.
The Red Devils will then resume their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, before hosting Leicester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on February 7.
Shaw is highly unlikely to be available for Man United's next three matches, but if his recovery goes as planned over the next couple of weeks, then there is a chance that he could return to the squad against Tottenham Hotspur in the league on February 16.
Man United are on the verge of securing the signing of Patrick Dorgu from Lecce, so it will be interesting to see where Shaw fits into Amorim's XI if he manages to stay clear from injury for the rest of the season.
There had been suggestions that Shaw could be used as the left-sided centre-back in the back three, but Lisandro Martinez has started to play his way into form under Amorim and that is currently his spot in the side.
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Which players are currently absent for Man United?
Shaw's return to the fold means that only two Man United players are not currently training, with Jonny Evans and Mason Mount in the treatment room at Carrington.
Evans has made 12 appearances this season, but the experienced centre-back, who is out of contract at the end of June, has not been involved since the middle of December.
Mount, meanwhile, has been on the sidelines with a thigh issue since the Manchester derby in the middle of December, and it currently unclear when the Englishman will be able to return to training.
Matt Law
